Reciprocating valveless pump

ABSTRACT

A valveless pump comprising a housing which is separated into first and second chambers, the second chamber being of annular extent and surrounding the first chamber. A magnetic assembly is provided in the second chamber for generating a magnetic field and for causing a water-ejecting magnetically responsive hollow piston to reciprocate axially along the first chamber in which the piston is freely disposed. The housing furthermore includes water inlet means for directing water into the first chamber and water outlet means for receiving water ejected from the first chamber by the piston. The water inlet means is submergible in water and separated from the second chamber for permitting maintaining the second chamber free from submerging in water during the water ejection by the piston.

Summerfield [451 Se t. 4 1973 [54] RECIPROCATING VALVELESS PUMP 1,053,932 3/1959 Germany 417/417 [75] Inventor: william F. Summerfield, Huntington 617,329 2/1961 ltaly 417/417 Beach' Cahf' Primary Examiner-William L. Freeh [73] Assignee: Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif. Assistant Examiner- John T. Winburnmw Y Y [22] Filed July 20 1971 Attorney-Abraham Friedman and Abraham Goodman [2l] Appl. No.: 164,249 Y v [57] ABSTRACT 52 U.s. cl. 417 241 A Van/@less PunP CnnPnSing a housing which is Sepu- 5 l l F0 /7/00 rated into first and second chambers, the second cham- [58] meld of Search.................'4.1 7./'4' 17 241 24o bef being uf annular extent and Surrounding the first 417/557. 2lb/167 169 chamber. A magnetic assembly is provided in the second chamber for generating a magnetic field and for [56] References Cited causing a water-ejectng magnetically responsive hollow piston to reciprocate axially along the tirst cham- UNITED STATES PATENTS ber in which the piston is freely disposed. The housing 3,023,708 3/1962 Thlele '417/240 .furthermore includes water inlet meansrfor directing l ,lllelr'm l 7/ water into the first chamber and water outlet means for 3554375 151970 wilnei: "f 2135169 receiving water ejected from the first chamber by the 3687'291 8/1972 wminer piston. The water inlet means is submergible in water 2:604851 7/1952 Archiba1d- 417/417 and Separated from the Second Chamber for Permitting FOREIGN PATENTS'OR APPLi-('AYTI'NS i 202,459 8/1958 Austria 417/417 maintaining the second chamber free from submergng in water during the water ejection by the piston.v

6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures Il Il Il il" 11 [l lr Il Il Il Il Pmmfnsfr'w SHEEEUFS FIG-2.

FIG-6 WILLIAM F. SUMMERFIELD INVENTOR BY/fi J Mmm PMM ATTORN EYS- PArfmfusfr'w SHEE 3 0F 3 WILLIAM F SUMMERFIELD INVENTOR FIGB.

ATTORNEYS 1 RECIPROCATING VALVELESS PUMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to water aquarium accessories and more particularly to a water pump.

Many conventional water pumps are well-known and utilized generally by hobbyists in fish tank aquariums and the like. The conventional type of water pump is generally associated with a filtration assembly for cleansing contaminated water and usually requires the water pump to be submerged fully in water especially in those instances when the water pump is characterized as a valveless pump. As those skilled in the art readily appreciate, a valveless pump is that which utilizes a reciprocating piston for ejecting water into an outlet conduit provided in the pump housing. The valveless pump is most desirable since there is obviated the necessity for control valves and the like for regulating the pulsating flow issuing from the pump.

Because of the nature of the valveless pump, it is usually submerged entirely beneath the surface level of water within which the pump is to be operable. Obviously, in those instances where the pump is to be entirely submerged in water, there is the diiculty of properly sealing the various elements which are interconnected to one another for constituting the pump housing so as to prevent the magnetic and electrical parts which are mounted internally of the housing from being exposed to water and damaged thereby.

Another difficulty with regard to the conventional type of valveless pump is the fact that the latter cannot be easily controlled. In this respect, the stroke of the piston, which is utilized for ejecting water from the housing, is controlled to some extent by the elongate length of the chamber within which the piston is displaceable. The elongate length of the chamber is generally a fixed extent. and cannot be modified because of the nature of the arrangement thereof. As those skilled in the art readily appreciate, in the absence of being permitted to properly regulate the elongate length of the chamber within which the water-ejecting piston is displaceable, the effectiveness of the successive thrusts of the piston upon reciprocation of the latter against water trapped in the chamber may be less than that which is most desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a valveless pump which constitutes an improvement over that of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a valvelesspump which need not be entirely submerged in water and therefore need not be provided with a complex sealing arrangement for preventing the electricalv and` magnetic elements therein from being exposed to water andbeing damaged by the latter.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a valveless pump wherein the water-ejecting piston and water outlet channel are operatively associated with one another in ya manner which is most effec-` tive for enhancing the efficiency of the pump.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a valveless pump having an arrangement of parts which are readily adpated for being adjusted for enhancing the water-ejecting efficiency of each stroke of the reciprocating piston.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a valveless pump having a water inlet arrangement in operative association with the water-ejecting piston which together are generally isolated from the electrical and magnetic elements utilized in the pump housing so as to obviate the necessity for submerging the latter electrical and magnetic elements in water during the operation of the pump.

To this end, the present invention relates to a valveless pump comprising a housing which is separated into first and second chambers, the second chamber being of annular extent and surrounding the first chamber. A magnetic assembly is provided in the second chamber Afor generating a magnetic field and for causing a waterejecting magnetically-responsive hollow piston to reciprocate axially along the first chamber in which the piston is freely disposed. The housing furthermore includes water inlet means for directing water into the first chamber and water outlet means for receiving water ejected from the first chamber by the piston. The water inlet means is submergible in water and separated from the second chamber for permitting maintaining the second chamber free from submerging in water during the water ejection by the piston.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With the above and additional objects and advantages in view as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

FIG. l illustrates a front elevational view, in crosssection, of the valveless pump pursuant to the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. l;

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4 4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. S illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. l;

FIG. S illustrates a cross-sectional vview taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 illustrates a plan view of the top side of the valveless pump pursuant to the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a plan view of the underside of the valveless pump pursuant to the present invention; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged exploded perspective view of the operative association of the fluid ejecting piston and the extension portion of the pump which is to be submerged in water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE kINVENTION Referring now to the drawingsand more particularly to FIG. 1, the present-invention comprises a valveless tion 16 each interconnected to, one another as illustrated in. FIGS. 1 and 7 through the intermediary of a pair of screws 17.

The upper and lower housing portions 14 and 16 re spectively are separated from one another through-the n intennediary of an inner annular partition 18. A metallic tubular partition or sleeve extends axially through the annular partition 18 into the lower housing portion 16 and is mounted on the partition 18 by means of an annular shoulder 22 provided as a portion of the sleeve 20. In this manner, there is generally defined a terminal-carrying chamber 24, a magnet-carrying chamber 26 and a piston-carrying chamber or bore 28, the nature of which chambers 24, 26 and 28 will be further clarified below.

The housing portion 16 is also provided at its underside with an externally threaded extension portion 30 to which may be threadedly interconnected an internally threaded hollow extension member 32. The extension portion 30 and the extension member 32 may be tightly connected to one another through the intermediary of a rubber washer 33. The extension member 32 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 34 extending in circumferential array and also with an axially extending bore 36 in which is mounted both a closure plug 38 and a screw 40 for laterally expanding the closure plug 38 and thereby enhancing the press-fit inter-connection of the closure plug 38 and the extension member 32.

A tubular water outlet meber 42 extends from the terminal-carrying chamber 24 into the piston-carrying chamber or bore 28, the latter which is defined by the sleeve 20 and is spaced from the latter through the intermediary of an innermost annular spacer portion 44 which is constituted as a portion of the sleeve 20. The tubular water outlet member 42 extends substantially throughout the piston-carrying chamber 28 and partially into the axially extending bore 36 of the hollow extension member 32.

Referring now to FIGS. l and 9 of the drawings, the pump l0 furthermore includes a magnetically responsive water-ejecting piston 46 having an upper tubular portion 48, an intermediary slotted portion 50 and a lower water-ejecting opening 53 which is generally frusto-conical in cross-section and is displaceable toward and away from the closure plug 38 provided in the extension member 32. The upper tubular portion 48 of the water-ejecting piston 46 is furthermore provided with a magnetically responsive metallic ring 54, the function of which will be further clarified below.

The magnet-carrying chamber 26 is provided with a metallic casing 56 in which is provided an electromagnet 58 constituted of a coil enwrapped plastic spool 60. Extending adjacent the electro-magnet 58 is a permanent-magnet 62 and is operatively associated with the latter electro-magnet 58 in a manner as will be claritied further below.

The terminal-carrying chamber 24 is provided with a pair of electro-terminals 64 which are electrically coupled to the electro-magnet 58 and to an electric wire 66, the latter which is coupled to a power source which is not shown in the drawings.

In operation, the valveless pump 10, pursuant to the present invention, may be utilized by submerging the hollow extension member 32 into water such that the spaced openings 34 are proximate yet submersed beneath the water level. The electric power source then serves to electrically energize the electro-magnet 58 which in turn, because of the alternating polarity of the opposite poles thereof coacting with the permanent magnet 62, causes the magnetic-responsive piston 46 to reciprocate vertically along the piston-carrying chamber 28. With the extension member 32 submersed in water, water flows inwardly into the piston-carrying chamber 28 through the spaced openings 34 provided in the latter and communicates with the interior of the piston 46. Furthermore, as water enters into the pistoncarrying chamber 28 and is trapped between the lower water-ejecting portion 52 of the piston 46 and the plug 38, water is forced upwardly through the water-ejecting opening 53 as a series of successive water jets and flows into the tubular water outlet member 42.

The mode of operation of the pump l0 may be explained as follows: As the piston 46 slides along the tubular member 42 during the upward movement of the piston 46 through the upward stroke caused by the energized electro-magnet 58 acting upon and attracting the magnetically responsive metallic ring 54 of the piston 46, the water flows through the openings 34 to fill the space directly above the closure plug 38 vacated by the piston 46. When the piston 46 is reversed during the time the electro-magnet 58 is reversing polarity to effect movement of the piston 46 through the downward stroke caused by the permanent magnet 62 acting upon and attracting the metallic ring 54 of the piston 46, the volume of water within the space below the piston 46 is displaced. Because the opening 53 is smaller than the closed underside of piston portion 5,2 in the bore 36, a jet of water issues upwardly through .the opening 53. This jet of water is directed into the mouth of the tubular member 42 on which the piston 46 is downwardly sliding substantially in yaxial alignment therewith, causing a corresponding displacement of water within the tubular member 42.

The momentum imparted to the water on the upward stroke of the piston 46 causes the water to continue up the tubular member 42. The acceleration of the water tends to be reduced due to the gravity acting on the water column within the tubular member 42. The next upward stroke of the piston 46 displaces an additional volume of water which tends to slow down the return of the volume of water from within the tubular member 42 to its original position.

According, the water within the tubular member 42 is again caused to move upwardly by the next jet of water issued on the following downward stroke of the piston 46, which occurs before the volume of water has suicient time to flow back down the tubular member 42 to its original position. This pumping occurs again and again so that a succession of jets of water enables the piston 46 to pump, water up the tubular member 42, ultimately causing the water to continuously exit from the opposite opening of the'tubular member 42, thereby providing a continuous flow of water from the pump 10.

It is noted, that during the upward strokes, the lower space in the bore 36 vacated by the piston 46 is filled with water entering through the openings 34 and proceeding both (l) down around the outer surfaces of the piston 46 and (2) through the slotted openings into the piston 46 where the water then passes downwardly through the opening 53 into the vacated space below, so that the bore 36 is constantly filled with water.

As those skilled in the art readily appreciate, the extent ofthe piston-carrying chamber 28 bears some relation upon the efficiency of the valveless pump l0. In this respect, the stroke of the magnetically responsive piston 46 is controlled generally by the alternating magnetic fluxes provided by the electro-magnet 58 in operative association with the permanent magnet 62.

However, the quantity of water remaining between the underside of the lower water-ejecting portion 52 of the piston 46 and the closure plug 38 will also have some bearing on the quantity of water that may be ejected through the water-ejecting opening 53 in the waterejecting portion 52. Thus, the specific location of the closure plug 38 internally of the hollow extension member 32 may be significant for controlling the ultimate efficiency of the valveless pump l0 pursuant to the present invention. The use of the screw 40 for laterally expanding the plug 38 permits the extent of the pistoncarrying chamber 28 to be controlled for this purpose.

It is significant that during the operation of the valveless pump pursuant to the present invention, only the extension member 32 need be submerged in water. Thus, the manner by which each of the elements which constitute the housing l2 of the valveless pump l0 are interconnected to one another need not generally account for submerging the entire housing l2 in water. It is clear, therefore, that the housing l2 both in arrangement and manner by which the elements thereof are interconnected to one another constitutes simplicity and reliability in design and is an inexpensive assembly to manufacture.

It is also significant to point out that the operative association between the electro-magnet 58 and the permanent magnet 62 is effected for causing the reciprocation of the piston 46 completely in the absence of moving parts such as springs or the like. In this respect, the permanent magnet 62 constantly urges the piston 46 downwardly because of the provision of the magnetically responsive metallic ring 54 provided in the upper portion of the piston 46. Furthermore, because of the provision of the alternating magnetic field provided by the electro-magnet 58, the reversing polarity of the latter alternately attracts the metallic ring 54 and thereby the piston 46 away from the permanent magnet 62 upwardly along the piston-carrying chamber 28, this due to the enhanced strength of the alternating magnetically attractive field initiated thereby.

Another feature of significance with regard to the present invention is the cooperative association of both the upper tubular portion 48 and intermediary slotted portion S0 of the piston 46 with that of the tubular water outlet member 42. As indicated most clearly in FIG. l, the portions 48 and 50 of the piston 46 generejected by the piston 46 will be properly pulsated and directed into the tubular water outlet member 42.

Numerous altemations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A valveless pump comprising a housing, said housing including magnetic means for generating a magnetic field disposed within an outer chamber of said housing, said outer chamber surrounding and being closed from an inner chamber of said housing, said housing being provided with a lower extending hollow member communicating with said inner chamber, closure means closing a lower end of said hollow member, said hollow member being provided with at least one water-inlet opening in a side wall of said hollow member for providing a flow of water to said inner chamber, a tubular outlet member extending through said inner chamber with an open end of said outlet member disposed in said hollow member above said water-inlet opening, a water-ejecting magnetically responsive hollow piston movably disposed'in said hollow member for association with said magnetic means with an upper portion of said piston slideably surrounding said outlet member in a concentrical arrangement, said piston including a lower end portion facing said closure means, said piston lower end portion being provided with a water-ejecting opening of smaller size than said upper pistori portion which surrounds said outlet member, and at least one opening in a side wall of said piston communicating with each of said water-inlet opening, said outlet member open end and said vwater-ejecting opening, whereby said water-ejecting opening directs jets of water toward said outlet member open end as said magnetic means force said piston toward said closure means when said hollow member is disposed in water with said water-inlet opening submerged below water level where said piston side wall opening permits said hollow member to be constantly filled with water.

ally surround or embrace the tubular water outlet member 42 and thus as water passes into the pistoncarrying chamber 28 through the spaced openings 34 provided in the hollow extension member 32, water also passes into the upper confines of the piston 46 through the slotted portion 50 thereof during the descent of the piston 46. Thus, the specific structure of the piston 46 permits the piston-carrying chamber 28 to be constantly filled with water in that the piston itself does not present any obstacle whatsoever to the inflow of water and the rate of water which may be expelled or ejected by the piston 46.

Of equal significance is the fact that the upper tubular portion 48 constantly surrounds the tubular water outlet member 42 and therefore the outlet member 42 presents a guide along which the piston 46 is displaceable for cooperatively maintaining the lower waterejecting portion 52 of the piston 46 properly aligned together with the axially extending bore 36 of the extension member 32 such that successive water jets 2. A valveless pump as claimed in claim l, wherein said water-ejecting opening is generally frusto-conical in cross-section defining minor and major diametral extents, said minor diametral extent being directed toward said outlet member open end and said major diametral extent being directed toward said closure means. l

3. A valveless pump as claimed in claim l, wherein said magnetic means includes an electro-magnetand a permanent magnet in operative associationwith each other for coacting on said piston to provide reciprocating movement for said piston.

4. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein a magnetically responsive metal element is disposed on said upper portion of said piston for association with said electromagnet and said permanent magnet.

5. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 12, wherein said hollow member includes securing means for detachably connecting said hollow member to said housing.

6. A valveless pump as claimed in claim l2, wherein said closure means includes a plug provided with an adwater ejected by said piston. 

1. A valveless pump comprising a housing, said housing including magnetic means for generating a magnetic field disposed within an outer chamber of said housing, said outer chamber surrounding and being closed from an inner chamber of said housing, said housing being provided with a lower extending hollow member communicating with said inner chamber, closure means closing a lower end of said hollow member, said hollow member being provided with at least one water-inlet opening in a side wall of said hollow member for providing a flow of water to said inner chamber, a tubular outlet member extending through said inner chamber with an open end of said outlet member disposed in said hollow member above said water-inlet opening, a water-ejecting magnetically responsive hollow piston movably disposed in said hollow member for association with said magnetic means with an upper portion of said piston slideably surrounding said outlet member in a concentrical arrangement, said piston including a lower end portion facing said closure means, said piston lower end portion being provided with a water-ejecting opening of smaller size than said upper piston portion which surrounds said outlet member, and at least one opEning in a side wall of said piston communicating with each of said water-inlet opening, said outlet member open end and said water-ejecting opening, whereby said water-ejecting opening directs jets of water toward said outlet member open end as said magnetic means force said piston toward said closure means when said hollow member is disposed in water with said water-inlet opening submerged below water level where said piston side wall opening permits said hollow member to be constantly filled with water.
 2. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said water-ejecting opening is generally frusto-conical in cross-section defining minor and major diametral extents, said minor diametral extent being directed toward said outlet member open end and said major diametral extent being directed toward said closure means.
 3. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic means includes an electro-magnet and a permanent magnet in operative association with each other for coacting on said piston to provide reciprocating movement for said piston.
 4. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 4, wherein a magnetically responsive metal element is disposed on said upper portion of said piston for association with said electromagnet and said permanent magnet.
 5. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 12, wherein said hollow member includes securing means for detachably connecting said hollow member to said housing.
 6. A valveless pump as claimed in claim 12, wherein said closure means includes a plug provided with an adjusting member for permitting movement of said plug within said hollow member to any one of a plurality of stationary closing positions for controlling amount of water ejected by said piston. 